Genesis 21

Genesis 21

21:2 Sometimes it's funny how the Bible makes a huge deal out of something and then when it takes place it simply says it. This is how this verse looks to me. They made a big deal about Sarah being too old and past childbearing age, and she laughs when God tells them it will happen, and now it just says "Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham".

21:7 Imagine bearing a son at age 90! It is something to laugh about, especially because having children was such a blessing.

21:10 God told Hagar to behave and submit to Sarah. Really, we don't hear anything about them until here since the time Hagar tried to run away. Hagar broke the covenant with God by doing this, so Sarah is just in sending her away.

21:13 This is of course God's choice. Unfortunately, the Arab nations that come from Ishmael are where Islam comes from. Still, God agrees that Hagar will now be sent away. Ishmael is old enough to take care of his mother and whatever family he starts, so no worries there.

21:16 The only explanation for Ishmael to be faint and his mother fine is he sacrificed his share to give to her. The boy is 13 or so by this point, so he wouldn't have been left under a bush by his mother except if there were some specific reason she thought he would die. She should have trusted God, but of course that's easy to say.

21:19 Either the well was there all along and was hidden, or God created it just for this purpose. Regardless, it is a good example of how God provides for us. We go until we feel we can't go any further, and only then does God give us the necessities. That is when we know what the necessities really are, and that we cannot get them unless God Himself provides it.

21:24 Was it wrong for Abraham to swear like this? The last thing Abraham would do by nature was to deal falsely with anyone. Even in telling Sarah as his sister was not entirely false. Still, there may have been this thing about the well in his mind when this was done, I must admit.